what you ignore is priceless to me
by loganlester
Summary: AU: Logan and Veronica as rivals on the campaign trail. / "You're even hotter than you are on C-SPAN."


**A/N: Blaaaaaame a tumblr prompt!**

* * *

Veronica Mars worked her ass off to get to where she was today. She was valedictorian of her class in high school, graduated from _Stanford_ with a degree in psychology, and made it through the living hell that was Columbia Law School. So when Cliff was with her when she won her Senate primary against her opponent (Veronica maybe sort of had one of her closest friends turned technical consultant Mac dig up footage of the washed up movie star turned congressional candidate saying less than flattering things about those he wished to be his constituents.) she felt a powerful surge of vindication.

She made it through high school, college, law school, a city council election, and a senate primary. The rest was going to be cake, if her competition for the general election (an old, balding man who said some very controversial comments about rape when interviewed by some local NBC affiliate seemed to be the candidate of choice, judging by the sheer mass of fliers,) was any indicator.

Naturally, she shared her glee with her lawyer turned campaign manager. "Cliffy, you're looking at a Mars family member who's making it to elected office."

"Your father is sheriff, Veronica." Cliff points out in his traditionally bored tone.

"My father used to be sheriff, until this town's incompetence and corruption managed to boot him out." Veronica corrects. "The whole point of me choosing politics was-"

Cliff cuts her off smarmy, "You finally being able to find a career that sedates both your curiosity and your control freak?"

Veronica ignores him and continues, "_fixing_ the system from the inside. Stopping stop-and-frisk policies! Making sure the wealthy don't just own and control this town while the rest of us suffer! Bringing down the Jake Kanes and Dan Lambs of the world through constitutional process!"

Cliff only chuckled in response, shaking his head. "Your optimism is going to win you a lot, kid. Your false expectations aren't."

"I'm not expecting to be able to fix everything. Or even anything, at this point. It's just…you look what happened to Weevil, right? Blamed for his own shooting and forced to leave his comfortable family life to go back to the gang he tried so hard to break out from. Or Gia, who dad tells me was forced to have sex with the murderer blackmailing her. Lamb and his department arresting every poor non-white, non-male person in the town isn't exactly something I can leave alone." Veronica huffed, not yet done with her spiel. "If I can get one bill for police transparency to pass, one more protection for women, or a repeal for Stand Your Ground in this state? I could help people in this town. I could help people like Gia. I could help people who have been in Weevil's position."

Cliff, with a shrug of his shoulders, simply states. "One thing I like about working for you now, kid? I never had to help you write a single campaign speech. It seems they come way too naturally for you. You and Keith have that in common."

"Must be the Mars family tenacity." Veronica grins.

* * *

Unfortunately, her positive attitude doesn't carry on when she finds out her opponent for the general election.

"Logan Echolls is who I'm running against?" Veronica asks her campaign manager while preparing for an interview with the local news, shell shocked. The guy was a little too moderate and wasn't backed by nearly as many super-pacs as his opponents. Apparently his own, independent wealth made up for it.

"Excuse me, did someone say my name?"

Logan Echolls seemingly evaporates out of thin air to swagger over to Veronica's chair, leaning against the table in front of her. "It's nice to finally meet the person who's going to lose to me."

"I have to say, I wasn't expecting you to win." Veronica states flatly, avoiding his (remarkably intense) gaze and recalling the colorful criminal record and less than politically correct statements of the man in front of her. Granted, they weren't nearly as bad as his opponent, but bile-inducing all the same.

"Shows you to always root for the underdog." .

Veronica glares at Logan, her patience wearing thin."As far as I'm concerned, I'm just waiting for you to say you only care about 47% of all Californians at one of your campaign benefits."

"Why would I say that? I'd say the number is much lower, actually." Logan smirks, eyeing her up and down. "38 million people in our great state. Only one of you. I'm inclined to say the statistic would be more like one of of 38 million - you're certainly giving me a lot to care about."

Veronica strongly resists the urge to punch him in the face. "Listen, Echolls. I don't give a damn if you think you're hot shit because you're parents are loaded and you want to ride out the high life as much as possible. Voters in this great _liberal_ state aren't falling for the old Fox News routine."

This only seemed to egg Logan on further, as he takes one step forward in her direction. "First of all, I'm - what was it? - _hot shit_ because the people voted me to be. We live in a republic, do we not? It's in our nation's best interests to follow the wants and needs of our people." He winks at her, which only serves to disgust her further. "Second of all, who am I to fault for good genes?"

"You're even more deplorable in person."

"You're even hotter than you are on C-SPAN."

"You're a misogynistic pig." Veronica rebuts, clearly offended.

"Well, sugarpuss, I am a Republican."

* * *

"My experience is laughable?" Veronica growls into the phone, using the phone number she may have not entirely legally obtained. "Echolls, I have a degree from fucking _Stanford and Columbia_."

Logan, if surprised by her sudden call or her harsh words, doesn't seem to show it over the phone. "Miss Mars, I'm afraid I'll have to call you back soon. You see, my friend Sean Hannity wants to hear how I'm going to bring traditional values back to our great state in five. Have a swell day!"

Her attempts to call him later on are met with an inspirational quote from Ronald Reagan (of-fucking-course). "Hello, you've reached Logan Echolls - your next senator - with today's inspirational message. 'There are no easy answers, but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right.'"

She refuses to watch the interview and makes sure to tell the American people exactly what kind of politics Logan Echolls would bring to the table on Anderson Cooper later that night.

* * *

Veronica has Mac leak photos of Logan Echolls and wife of real estate millionaire Richard Casablancas in less than flattering positions courtesy of California's scummiest Vinnie Van Lowe. Vinnie, of course, was the one offering in the first place. Her dad wouldn't like it, but she is going to be damned if she doesn't do everything she can to prevent Echolls from getting into office and spreading more of the toxicity that's already destroyed her town.

Just because she's campaigning, however, doesn't mean she can't make time for one of the closest people in her life. Wallace and his cute new fiance are adorably cute, and - as Veronica informs him - she can totally campaign and have some time with her BFF at the same time.

"You never know where true love is going to find you." Wallace's fiance, a nice girl named Jane, croons.

"Well, if true love comes looking for me, I'll be over by the espresso machine."

Oddly enough, that's where she runs into Logan Echolls.

"I think you got the wrong idea about me earlier." He opens with, clad only in a button down and slacks.

Veronica rolls her eyes. "Now you want to play nice with the enemy. I don't think so, Logan. I think you're exactly who I think you are."

"I just thought I'd clarif-"

"Don't bother, Mr. Echolls."

* * *

It's not until she turns on her TV at the end of the day and flicks it to _The Daily Show_ that she realizes what she's done.

"You can tell Fox News, otherwise known as Bullshit Mountain, has reached its absolute pinnacle when they get torn to shreds by someone on their own side. Watch this clip of, my long love, Sean Hannity's reaction to Logan Echolls - the Republican guy running for Senate in California that they've been writing hymns to - calls Hannity a misogynistic asshole on live TV for everything from encouraging Stand Your Ground laws to the network's enforcement of rape culture. It's truly a beauti-"

_Did he think he was fucking Chris Christie? And what was with her not being able to catch his sarcasm on "traditional values" over the phone?_

She's just now realized she's never listened to one of his campaign speeches from the past few days. His gay marriage and minimum wage increase supporting campaign speeches. No wonder California seems to love him so much, he's _not a real Republican_.

* * *

"You and I need to have a talk." Veronica storms in, eyes on Cliff who teasingly holds his hands up.

"What's my crime, V?"

"Why did you think it prudent to tell me that Logan Echolls was the most pathetic excuse for a Republican this world has ever seen? You told me this guy was your Ted Cruz-lite, anti-gay, xenophobic and sleazy type! I trusted you enough to not question the lines from him you gave me!"

Cliff, noticeably nervous, does his best to deflect, "He did say all those things, Veronica."

"In 2009! He was working for Schwarzenegger! We all said stupid shit in 2009! I trusted you to give me information from _now_." Veronica is now openly furious, complete with accusing fingers and withering looks.

"Listen, Veronica, I didn't know if you could do it if you didn't think that Logan was…well…what I described him as to you. I know you, V, you operate best when you're determined to destroy someone. And what better way to make you do th-" Cliff attempts to explain, but fails.

"You _manipulated_ me because you wanted me to play dirty politics?"

"Well, when you say it like that…"

* * *

Logan loses the election. Apparently Richard Casablancas used his millions to the fullest in anti-ads for the senator as a result of his wife's transgressions. Veronica wins the seat, but feels like she's already sacrificed a part of who she is and what she does to do it. A long conversation with her dad told her that dropping out of the race wasn't the way to go, either.

She tries to catch him at his apartment. When he won't open, she resorts to calling through the door.

"I'm so sorry, Logan. I never meant for that to go down like that. You weren't who I thought you were."

This seems to catch his attention, as he pokes his head through the door. "Losing an election for a gorgeous woman having an affair with me? There are worse ways to go."

Ignoring his suggestive lifted eyebrow, Veronica shakes her head. "I didn't think I'd sink this low so early in the game."

"If you come closer, I can think of things you can sink in-"

"Logan?"

"Yes?"

"Just because I feel guilty doesn't mean I won't punch you."

"In that case it's best to settle this diplomatically. Come in without your threat of physical violence and I'll eliminate the threat of innuendo from yours truly."

So she does.

* * *

It's not until a year after Logan wins his own seat following the retiring of Veronica's - a year of completely accidental footsie and Veronica threatening him to help her pass a renewal of The Violence Against Women Act or so help her _God_ - that maybe appeals to him in ways that shouldn't - they're caught. More specifically, the two are caught in a broom closet on Capitol Hill by a senator from Arizona.

It's not until they're making their covert walk turned run of shame to Logan's pretentious BMW that Senator Echolls decides to comment.

"You forgot the Do Not Disturb Sign?"

"I was a little _distracted_."


End file.
